Research blog

We are always looking for new discoveries; whether it is about a person, a theme on the website or a place that connects many people of African descent, this all helps the project to grow and helps us to produce interesting pieces for everyone to enjoy.

East Yorkshire Research and our Forthcoming Beverley Treasure House ExhibitionLast week we were contacted through our website and were given the name of another Black soldier who joined the East Yorkshire Regiment during the First World War. This has not only provided us with potentially another story but also adds to our understanding that the East Yorkshire Regiment may have been more diverse than previously thought. This is particularly important considering that next year is the centenary of the end of the First World War and everybody who fought deserves to be remembered. However, this gentleman’s story could be particularly useful for our forthcoming Beverley Treasure House exhibition in May as he was predominantly based in East Yorkshire. We hope to include new stories in our May exhibition with a focus on those people who have lived, worked or visited East Yorkshire. We are currently researching performers of African descent seen at coastal resorts such as Bridlington, Scarborough, Filey, etc. If you remember hearing about or going to see an event, which included Black men and women we would welcome any details so please click here to contact us.

Further Information About Moses Roper and Adolphus MeheuxAs well as looking for new people to research, we are constantly updating our webpages and adding further information to existing stories as they come to light. For example, we realised that not only did Moses Roper, the nineteenth-century American abolitionist visit Beverley in 1842, he made an earlier appearance in Hull in 1839. Roper also travelled to the small historic market town of Howden in January 1843. We have now amended his page to reflect this information (click here to read about Moses Roper). This information provides more information about his visits to Hull and East Yorkshire and further evidences his presence in the region. In addition to this new information on Moses Roper, a few weeks ago we were contacted by a reader who provided us with the only known surviving image of Adolphus Meheux (see right). We were extremely grateful to receive this image as adding a face to a name provides extra context and allows a more personal approach to Meheux’s narrative.

Submitting Information to the ProjectPlease click here to submit information or to contact us if you think you can help. We would also be grateful if you would share your knowledge or look through your old photograph collections or any memorabilia you may have. You may be surprised by what you find! Also, don’t forget if you are particularly interested in a story, please revisit the page as you never know what you might have missed.​Thanks to Mike Covell, John Ellis, Deborah Crawford and Jeff Green for getting in touch.